


You Bring Me Colour

by LozB4



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, mild sad TK thoughts, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:35:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29403492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LozB4/pseuds/LozB4
Summary: After TK finds the first picture of them as a couple that Carlos has displayed in his apartment, it makes him recognise the significance of himself in Carlos' life and Carlos gets home from work to confirm it.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 7
Kudos: 195





	You Bring Me Colour

**Author's Note:**

> Don't know how this happened, one minute I was writing about the influence of gut microbiota on the brain and bam, Tarlos. Little bit random but inspired by some instagram post I read about a guy who used to only post black and white pictures until he met his girlfriend and then he started posting in colour so naturally I thought, Carlos' apartment and TK bringing the colour. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy, its basically all fluff, the only mildly sad bit is TK's thoughts about not being good enough for Alex/Carlos but thankfully Carlos is around to diminish those. 
> 
> Tk's parents come off a bit bad in this, honestly I really like Owen's character and I think Gwyneth could be great if they gave her some actual interaction with her (currently) only child but still kinda pissed at them for manifesting their argument into TK's problem.

TK takes a deep breath as he steps into Carlos' dark apartment, taking a moment to relish the peace that comes with it. Ever since they told him about their 'miracle baby', they've taken the opportunity to argue over everything that comes with it. Yesterday was the nursery colours, today was baby names, tomorrow TK is sure it will be the best brand of pram to buy or something ridiculous like that. 

Being around them recently has made his headache and Carlos' peaceful, tidy, calm apartment is his refuge. Or maybe the man himself is. But he isn't home. Regardless being in an apartment where Carlos is going to be is a far better option than sitting in his bedroom and praying that his noise cancelling headphones will actually drown out the arguing. 

As he places the few items of shopping he bought in the fridge he realises how domestic they have become, it has come on so gradually that he's barely had time to register it but he takes a few seconds to consider how easily he let himself into the house, even knowing Carlos wasn't there, how he bought food for the fridge without considering that it wasn't his home to buy food for. Honestly his parent's surprise when he appears from his own bedroom in the house is a good indicator as well. 

He is tempted to go upstairs and shower off the aches of the day, get dressed in Carlos' hoodie and APD shorts and snuggle into bed until his boyfriend comes home but last week Carlos mentioned a craving for mac and cheese and TK is going to deliver. 

The sauce is bubbling on the hob, garlic bread in the oven and wine chilling in the fridge, TK feels like a domestic god when he gathers up the laundry that has accumulated around the apartment and gets it in the washing machine. There is a moment of embarrassment there as he realises that all of Carlos' clothes are placed neatly in the laundry basket whilst TK's are spread throughout every room, a hoodie on the sofa, a t-shirt dropped at the side of the bed, towels in the bathroom. Carlos' life was very orderly until TK crashed into it. Sometimes he can't understand why Carlos doesn't complain, doesn't lose it, call him lazy and messy and a nuisance. There's probably a reason Alex never wanted to live with him. 

As he is taking a moment to catalogue all the mess he has left around, his pill bottles on the counter top where Carlos can remind him to take them every morning, his bag hung over the back of his unofficial chair in the kitchen, a rogue airpod just sitting on the table, TK's gaze finds something he never noticed before. Or more aptly, what wasn't there before. 

Carlos doesn't do pictures in his house, he has a picture of him with his parents on the bedside table but aside from that, they are neatly organised into photo albums marked with date, time and location. 

Yet sitting on the coffee table is a picture that Mateo took of them just a couple of weeks ago, TK smushing his face against Carlos' and the sheer joy on Carlos' face made TK save the same picture as his lock screen. The picture is so bright and colourful against the dark aesthetic of the apartment, the bright red of TK's t-shirt standing out like a lighthouse. 

As he picks up the frame he runs his thumb over the textured wood, smiling automatically a little at Carlos' smile in the photo, it almost makes him laugh the swooping feeling of elation in his stomach as he registers what this means. TK is significant. Significant enough to spoil the neatness of this apartment, looking properly he can see the influence of himself just slightly spilling over into Carlos' décor tastes, a burnt orange blanket that TK bought for Carlos when he was cold, the mustard yellow cushion that TK bought for himself to lean on when his shoulder was still healing but now Carlos steals it every night to rest his head on when they watch TV, TK isn't complaining he gets to rest his head on Carlos' chest. By the door TK has a variety of jackets that stand out starkly against the wallpaper, his yellow hoodie that he once associated with his meltdown on Carlos, he now associates as Carlos' favourite item of clothing, in fact TK can't remember the last time he actually got to wear it. 

Does he really have this much influence on Carlos' life?

It's possible the answer is yes because sitting on the under shelf of the coffee table is another photo frame, still empty but there are several photos sitting next to it, all of TK and Carlos in some form of loved up pose, as if Carlos couldn't decide which to put in. 

A rough looking piece of paper catches his eye at the back of the frame and with careful fingers he pulls it free, recognising his own hand writing and the little note he left for Carlos a few months back, right after they said their first 'I love yous' 

Babe,   
Got called into shift early and you wouldn't wake up to say bye. I recall the words, 'No want to sleep'. Anyway that's where I am if you were worried. Mom and Dad are guaranteed to be arguing today because Dad is down to his last shreds of exfoliant so I'm going to come back after shift, your choice whether to let me in or not but I'll give you incentive with tacos and a lacy surprise I got for you online. See you tomorrow, be safe, love you :) Ty.

There are more of TK's haphazard notes stuck to the back of the photos, each of them proclaiming his love for Carlos in some way and it brings a blush to his cheeks because perhaps TK didn't realise how often he wrote it down. The taunt of 'clingy' echoes in his mind but he pushes it down, Carlos kept all these, Carlos likes all these. That's got to count for something.

TK is still standing holding the picture frame in his hands when Carlos enters, calling out a greeting then waiting for TK to respond. "TK? Babe you've stalled." The police officer makes his way over, smiling when he sees what is in TK's hand then prods the ticklish spot on TK's side that makes him squawk and lurch sideways.

"Nooo!"

"Where did you go huh?" TK replies with a shrug, setting the photo down, 

"I like that photo." He plays off calmly and Carlos gives him a knowing smile. 

"Its my favourite. What is that, it smells amazing?"

"Macaroni. You said last week-" Carlos surges forward before TK can finish the sentence and kisses him, both hands cradling his face. 

"I love you so much." If TK wasn't blushing before he is now, 

"Love you too. But it isn't that big of a deal. You make me food all the time." Carlos gives him a look that TK can't read for a second. 

"You remembered what food I had a craving for and made it for me after a 24 hour shift. You've put the laundry on and-" He picks up a bottle of the salad dressing that Carlos practically devours when they get it from the farmer's market, "You bought me more of my favourite dressing. Which I know is out of your way to get. To conclude. I love you so much." 

TK relaxes into Carlos' arms, "You're welcome. You're my safe space I want it to be safe for you too." 

"Always is when you're around. But thank you. Really." 

TK wants to explain that he learned to accumulate all the things that Alex liked just in the hope of getting some sort of positive attention from him towards the end of their relationship. But this is different, he isn't doing this to make Carlos stay, he's doing it to make him happy. 

"Go wash up, dinner will be ready in 10." 

As he is dishing up his phone starts buzzing with messages and with a sigh TK picks it up, knowing straight off who it is. Sure enough he has about 7 messages from his Dad, and equal amount from his Mom both of them asking him to tell the other his opinion on a name or a paint colour. 

He pinches his nose and exhales deeply, registering Carlos' return down the stairs but not paying it much mind as he tries to prevent himself from just screaming, even his refuge has been invaded by their arguing. 

It is the soft clunks of things being placed down that makes him look up to see Carlos placing a few deep red candles down artfully across the flat, complemented by a decorative bowl and a vase of yellow roses. As a way of explanation Carlos just shrugs, "Went shopping with Michelle at lunch."

"Babe I hate to tell you but this doesn't match your aesthetic."

Carlos shrugs, "I'm kinda liking this new one." 

"Its very.... Autumnal."

"You said that's your favourite season." 

"Yeah but that doesn't mean that you have to change your own preferences. Its your flat." 

Carlos just kisses TK's nose as he passes to pick up the wine glasses. "I like it. You bring the colour to my life." 

Later TK will venomously deny that his voice cracks as he murmurs, "Babe." And Carlos just grins, 

"I made you happy cry."

"You are a sadist. You know that."

Next to them his phone buzzes and Carlos rests a hand on the small of his back, "Now you look like you're going to cry cry. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. My parents. Told you their honeymoon phase would die on its arse." 

"I imagine a baby is quite an interruption to it all."

"The joys of gay dating huh?"

His phone buzzes again and TK exhales sharply, relishing the closeness of Carlos reaching around him to pick up his phone and silence it."You don't have to deal with that here. You don't have to deal with it there if you don't want to either."

"Trust me, I tried to end my parent's arguments for 10 years. It ends in more shouting, 'look you made TK cry' 'no you did that' 'where are you going' 'oh by the way TK mom left us'." Carlos' eyebrows shift a little with his questions but he shakes his head, drawing TK closer and resting his head on top of his, enclosing him tightly like nothing can get to him. 

"I meant, what if you don't have to deal with them at all. Or at the bare minimum."

"I do have noise cancelling headphones but somehow they pitch themselves at the perfect volume to get through them-"

"TK, babe will you move in with me." 

"Oh. Oh that's what you were getting at not noise cancelling headphones." Carlos rests his forehead against TK's as he laughs. "You're sure?"

"Course I am. I mean we practically live together. I drop you off at work so often Marjan assumes we already do."

"What about your parents, I always artfully disappear when they're over. It might not work the same if we actually live together."

"We can be roommates."

"Oh my god they were roommates." Carlos rolls his eyes fondly, guiding them to sit at opposite sides of the table and to start eating. "There's only one bedroom." 

"It'll take them ages to put it together and... Maybe I don't mind if they do... I mean I'm not ready to properly-"

"I know babe. I'm not asking you to be." 

Carlos exhales all the tension that was drawing his shoulders up to his ears, "But letting them figure it out on their own is the easiest way of letting them know without actually making them talk about it."

"What about the picture?" TK asks, gesturing to the picture that is obviously not of roommates. 

"They can talk about it or they can not talk about it. Ball is in their court." 

"You're being very brave." 

"There's someone who happens to bring it out in me." TK reaches across the table, holding Carlos' hand and thumbing over his pulse point. 

"Last chance to escape having a messy roommate."

"Now why would I ever want to do that? I love you."

"Love you too."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading :)


End file.
